Latch for barn doors



Nov. -3, 1931. A. HQLIEN 1,830,513

LATCH FOR BARN DOORS Filed March 15, 1929 IIIIIIA ,i 45a A W2 PatentedNov. 3, 1931 ALBERT. 1101mm, or MAYNARD, MINNESOTA PATENT FI E LATCH FORBAR-N DOORS Application filed March 15, 1929. Serial No. 347,269.

Thisinvention relates to a lock 'or'latch device for a door and whilethe device is appli .cable to various-typesof doors it particularly isdesigned for heavy doors, such as barn doors or garage doors. In barnsand other buildings where there is heat or moisture inside, it oftenhappens that in cold weather frost and ice collect on the outsideof thebuilding and doors and this frost and ice 1o often freezes to the partsof thedoor latch so that it is difficult or impossible to operate thesame. 1 I

It isan object of this invention to provide a very simple and efficientlatching means for a door such as a barn door and one which comprisesvery few parts. 3 It is a further object of the invention to. provide asimple and efficient form of latching mechanism for a door soconstructed and arranged that water or moisture can collect and freezeon the latch or door in cold weather without interfering with theoperation of the-latch.

It isstil'l another object of the invention to provide a latchingmechanism for a door comprising a combinedspring and latching baradapted to engage a keeper with ample means for operatingsaid bar.

It is more specifically an object of the inso vention to providelatching means for a door comprising a keeper having an open-ended slot,a resilient bar extending parallel to the side of the door and rigidlysecured thereto at its end remote from said keeper, together with a rodextending through the door and having a handle at either side of thedoor, said rod being rotatable and having means engaging said bar tospring the same and move the free end thereof to engage and disengagesaid keeper.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fullyset forth in the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which 46 like reference characters refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views, and in which Fig. 1 is aview in front elevation of the door with the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a View in front elevation of the mechanism shown. on anenlarged scale, some parts being indicated in different positions indotted lines; v

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2 as indicatedby the arrows; Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4:4i of Fig. 2as indicated by the arrows, and Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken online 55 of Fig. 2 as indicated by the arrows.

Referringto the drawings, a door 10 is shown mounted to swing upon thehinges 11 and adapted to close an opening in the frame 12 of thebuilding. o In accordance with the present invention, a keeper plate 13is'provided which extends outwardly substantially at right angles to theside of the frame 12, and in the embodiment of the invention illustratedsaid keeper is shown as set into the edge ofthe doorframe and securedthereto by a plurality of screws 14: extending through openings insaidkeep er plate. Said plate 13 has an open ended vertical notch orslot 13a therein and its surface 137) adjacent said slot extendsupwardly in a curve to the edge-of said slot thus forming a cam surface.Said keeper has a hole-130 extending therethrough below the slot 18a. Aplate 15 of general rectangular shape is provided and secured flatagainst the side of the door 10 by a plurality of spaced screws 16extending-through holes in said plate, the screws 14 "and 16 preferablybeing countersunk in their respective plates. Plate 15 extends to theedge of the door 10 and has an end portion 15a extending outwardly fromI said door substantially at right angles, said portion having a'vertically extending elongated slot-15b therein which, when the-doorisin closed position, substantially aligns with the slot 13a. Portion15a also has a hole 150 u extending therethrough below the slot 15?)adapted to align with the hole'lSc in the keeper plate 13 when the dooris in closed position. Portion 15a alsohas a hole 15d therethrough andplate 15 has a hole 156 therethrough, which holes are used when theplate 15 is used in a reverse position to that shown in Fig. 2. A bar 17isiprovided, which bar is .of resilient material and has a fiat ortionat its end remote from keeper 13 w ich is rigidly secured to the plate15by any 'suit V able means, such as the rivets 18. The bar 17 has aportion 17a adjacent its attached end which is of rectangular shape incross sec.- tion with its long side extending at right angles to thesurface of plate 15. The free end of the bar 17 is also substantiallyrectangularin cross section, but has its long side extending vertically,the free end of said bar 17 extending through slot 15?). A rod 19extends through and is journaled in theplate 15, the door 10, and aplate 20 secured to. the side of the door opposite plate 15 by thescrews 21. Rod 19 has formed at one'enda handle member 22 disposed atthe outer side .of the door and slightly beyond the outer side of thebar 17 Rod 19 is threadedat its end opposite handle 22 and extendsthrough a handle member 23 similar to the ha;ndle.22. V A nut 24: isthreaded .on the end of rod 19 and holds handle 23 in place. A cammember 25 is secured to rod 19 adjacent plate 15 and beneath bar 17,said member 25 having-a top surface on which bar 17 rests, said member25 lifting said bar when it is rotated by rotation of rod 19 and handles22 or 23. In Fig. 1 the dooruis shown in closed position and the lock 26of padlock form is shown having its bail extending through holes 13c and150 in'memb'ers 13 and 15 thus locking the door in closed position. p

In operation, when the door is in closed 1 and latched position theparts willoccupy the positions shown in the-drawings. At this time theend, of bar 17 projecting beyond the portion 15a of plate 15; isseatedin theslot 13a. of the keeper 13. When it is desired to release. thelatch, one of the handles 22 or 23 will. be rotated and rod 19' andmember 25 willbe rotated,the latter engaging bar. 17 and springing thesame upwardlyso that the free end thereof moves above the top of slot13a of the keeper. The door can then be opened. Thebar 17 can be raisedin the same manner to move the same to latching position, or if the dooris slammed or; pushed to closed position bar 17 will cam up on.sur-. Itwill face 135 and drop into the slot113a. be seen that bar 17 comprisesa combined spring and latch. It will be noted that bar,

17 is spaced from plate 15 and hence-from door and thesa'me is veryeasily applied and will suit doors of different thickness. The

device ha's'been amply demonstrated in actual practice and found to bevery successful and eiiicient.

It. will, of course be understood that-various ch nges may be made intheform, details, proportions andarrangement of the parts, withoutdeparting fromthe scope. of appli cantfs invention, which, gene1'ally I,stated,

consists in a device cap-able. ofcarrying out the objects above set;forth, in the novel-parts. and combinations of parts disclosed anddefined inthe appended claim.

\Vhat is claimed is A latch for a door havingin-combinati'on, a platesecured flat against said doorhaving anendportion adjacent: the. end ofsaid door ext-ending .outwardly therefrom and having averticallydisposed elongatedslot theiethrough, a keeper secured to the.doorframe and extending outwardly there-from having anopenendedslotther'eima resilient latch bar rigidly secured to said plate atitsend' remote from said keeper, said bar extending through said firstmentionedslot, arod ex: tending through said door below saidlatch barand having handles secured atthe ends thereof, and means on: saidrodadapted to engage said latch bar and spring the; same 2;

to move the freeend thereof upwardly. to

engage anddisengage said keepe'r.

In testimony whereof'l afiix my signature. V ALBERT HOLIEN,

the side of door 10 throughout substantially 1 all' of its movable part.If-water or moisture shouldaccumulate on plate =15 and be frozenthereon, it willnot affect the bar 17 and the latter will thus not befrozen or I frosted in locked position. It will be noted 7 that thelatch can readily be applied to doors of. different thickness on accountof the adjustment given bythe threaded end of rod 19 and the nut 24thereon. It-will beQseen that the latch is reversible and could beapplied 65 used, the. rod 19 would extendthrough hole

